News
Train driver says doomed girls crossed only 3.5m away
The driver of the ill-fated train involved in the accident in Dehiwela where two schoolgirls were killed this week said the victims had been about 3.5m (12 feet) away from the train when he spotted them.
Engine driver Nimal Peiris said the train was an S-Ceylon train (express) heading to Kalutara South on that particular day.
He said he was driving the train at 45kph when the accident took place. At that speed a train usually needs about 800-900m to be brought to a stop.
Mr. Peiris said that the girls had not been wearing headsets when he saw them and that he had tooted the horn to attract their attention, to no avail.
The two girls were identified as Imeshi Yasara Perera and Sharon Schuilling, students of Holy Family Convent in Bambalapitiya,
They had been on their way to a party at a restaurant on the beach and were crossing the rail track when the train coming from the direction of Colombo hit them.
A post-mortem carried out at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital showed they died of multiple injuries to head and chest.
Locomotive Operating Engineers Union (LOEU) General Secretary K.A.U. Konthesingha said that the train had been running at more than 45kph, which was a speed at which a train cannot suddenly apply brakes.
He explained that the train had interlocked compartments and that if brakes were suddenly applied at that speed the train would derail and topple.
He added that the train 7177 S-Ceylon, a semi-express train which was operating from Maradana to Kalutara, travels at normal speed until Moratuwa and then speeds up afterwards.
Mr. Konthesingha emphasised that a railway track should be considered a deadly place by the public and not be used as a place to walk, stand or cross.
The funeral of Imeshi and Sheron took place on Thursday at the General Cemetery, Borella, amidst large gathering of students and friends.
